04-01 Israel Institute Doctoral Fellowships

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The Israel Institute awards graduate fellowships to Ph.D. candidates in an effort to support outstanding research on Israel-related topics. Israel Institute Doctoral Fellowships are two-year fellowships that provide stipends of $10,000 per year for students at American universities and $15,000 per year for students at Israeli, European and Asian universities. The Institute Doctoral Fellowships are open to both doctoral students who are working on Israel as a primary topic of research and also to candidates whose focus is more broad but whose work incorporates an Israeli dimension, for example, as a case study in a comparative work. Israel presents fertile ground in many disciplines for those who wish to study it in its own right, but Israel also presents a compelling case study for a variety of different social science and humanities topics. Nuclear deterrence theory, the effects of proportional electoral systems on democratic performance, the causes of social fragmentation in divided societies, the influences of diaspora roots on native literature – these are just a few examples of areas in which the study of Israel can contribute to a richer understanding of larger topics. The Israel Institute hopes to bring greater attention to Israel as a topic of advanced study and research across many fields and to encourage new and diverse perspectives from a wider array of graduate students.

Requirements

The Israel Institute Doctoral Fellowship is open to Ph.D. students who have completed all of their coursework and have passed their comprehensive exams and are researching and writing their prospectus or dissertation on a topic that is related to Israel or that incorporates Israel as a case study. Fellowship proposals should reflect the Institute’s goal of advancing knowledge and study of modern Israel and should address contemporary issues or ones of historical importance. The Israel Institute is seeking students of the highest caliber across an array of academic fields and departments.

In order to be considered for the Israel Institute’s doctoral fellowship, please submit the following materials by April 1, 2014:

A proposal of no more than 5 double-spaced pages describing your dissertation topic, methodology and research design, the main scholarly contribution your dissertation will add to your field and how your dissertation will enhance knowledge of Israel.
A complete set of official undergraduate and graduate transcripts from every school you have attended.*
Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from your dissertation advisor.*
A complete academic CV containing any jobs you have held, publications, conference papers and presentations.

Successful candidates will be selected based on the following criteria:

Proposal Focus: Will the proposal advance and expand knowledge of Israel in a new way? Does the proposal integrate Israel into a wider field of study?
Proposal Design: Does the proposal build upon a strong research design with a clearly applied methodology?
Applicant’s Record: Does the applicant demonstrate high potential? Does the applicant’s record reflect advanced accomplishment in his or her field?
* Non-electronic and/or confidential materials, such as recommendations, can be emailed to us at applications@israelinstitute.org or mailed to us at: